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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25945888">House of Cards</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barnable/pseuds/Pippinpaddleopsicopolis'>Pippinpaddleopsicopolis (Barnable)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We All Fall Down [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Angst, Boys Kissing, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Holding Hands, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kissing, M/M, POV Sokka (Avatar), Partially Deaf/Blind Zuko (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Sokka has adhd, Sokka is an Extrovert, Suicide Attempt, They Play Boardwalk Games, Zuko (Avatar) Needs Therapy, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko has anxiety, Zuko is Shy, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, it's very fluffy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:00:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25945888</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barnable/pseuds/Pippinpaddleopsicopolis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On his way home from work one evening, Sokka comes across someone sitting on the edge of a bridge. Determined to stop them from making the irreversible decision, he takes it upon himself to get the stranger to smile. At no point in his plan does he intend to fall for the stupidly pretty boy, but as with most things, it somehow happens anyway.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We All Fall Down [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>985</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>why im sleep deprived 💖✨</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>House of Cards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written for zukkanet's song lyrics creation event on tumblr, inspired by lyrics from Invisible by Linkin Park.</p><p>  <em>"if I cannot break your fall // I'll pick you right up off the ground // if you felt invisible, I won't let you feel that now"</em></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t often that Sokka decided to approach a stranger, but there was something different about this one.</p><p>He looked to be around the age of Sokka himself, sitting alone on the edge of the unbarred bridge. His long, dark hair was dragged back into a sloppy bun, loose strands spilling over the back of his worn, red jacket. Covering his deep amber eyes were a pair of thick black glasses, which somewhat helped to mask the heavy burn scar on the left side of his face, and the tears which slipped down his cheeks. His posture was slumped and reclusive as he took another drag on his cigarette, staring down at current rushing below him.</p><p>Acting against all his rational instincts, Sokka parked his bike on the side of the road and dropped his helmet onto the seat before turning to the stranger. Though Sokka was not quiet in his approach, the guy didn’t turn to look at him until he was already sitting on the edge beside him. He didn’t dare put his own legs over the edge but sat in a cross-legged position; not saying a word as he waited to see whether he was welcome. Thankfully, he wasn’t immediately pushed away, though he still hesitated before opening his mouth.</p><p>“Hey.” The stranger dodged his gaze within seconds, turning back to look at his shoes. Still, Sokka didn’t want to walk away. Not yet. He was sitting too close to the edge of the bridge, his eyes staring a little too longingly at the water beneath them. “Are you all right?”</p><p>“I’m fine.” His voice was deep and slightly raspy, his fingers flicking away at the edge of his cigarette. For a moment Sokka thought he wasn’t going to say anything else, but after another extended drag, he went on. “Why do you care?”</p><p>Sokka took a deep breath, opting to be blunt with his answer as he tugged on the edges of his leather jacket. “Because you look an awful lot like you want to jump down there right now and I’d be the world’s biggest dick if I let you do that.”</p><p>That might have been the wrong approach to take. The guy failed to respond, just nodding as he went for another drag on his cigarette, dangling his legs over the water beneath them. It wasn’t too far of a fall, but it was more than enough to knock a person out cold. More than enough to take the life of someone who wasn’t willing to fight back against the current. Someone like the gently shaking, silently crying boy sitting beside him. Sokka didn’t know what happened. He didn’t know what was wrong. But he wasn’t willing to let this guy lose his life because no one else was there or willing to fight for him.</p><p>“But it would be so much easier if I did.” They weren’t exactly the words Sokka was <em>expecting </em>to fall from his tongue, but he couldn’t say he was surprised to hear them. Not with how close he was sat to the edge of the concrete, his gaze fixated on the water rushing beneath them. “Thanks for trying, I guess, but you don’t understand. You don’t— You don’t know where I’m at right now. If I don’t do this then I don’t— I don’t even have anywhere to go. I came here on a stupid whim and I didn’t think things through. I didn’t— I don’t know what to do.”</p><p>“It’s okay. You have time to figure that out.” In all honesty, Sokka knew the guy was right. He knew that he had no idea what was going on in this stranger’s life, or whether the words he was saying were actually true. Unable to confidently go on without more information, Sokka reached over and extended a hand, which the guy only looked at. “I’m Sokka. I’m twenty-one, I was born in Alaska, but I moved here to get my master’s in engineering. I have one sister, my dad, and my stepdad, and I’m broke as shit living off a temp job I got at some rundown tech company around the corner. What about you?”</p><p>It wasn’t a foolproof strategy. Babbling on about himself had every chance to piss off the beautiful stranger as it did to distract him from whatever horrible things he was thinking about, but somehow, it seemed to work. He carefully reached out to shake Sokka’s hand with his own warm palm and pulled away after a few seconds. He shoved his hands between his own knees before he said anything, his gaze drooping back to the water.</p><p>“I’m Zuko.” His words were quiet, as if he weren’t used to talking about himself. “I’m twenty-two. I’m from, uh, I’m from Arizona. I was getting my bachelor’s in business administration, but I did something stupid and I came here for… yeah. I have no job, and no family, and I’m just kind of stuck right now. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to come here and I don’t know what to do now and I can’t— I can’t even decide if I want to jump or not.”</p><p>“Don’t. Please.” He reached out for Zuko’s hand, their fingers brushing past each other on the cold concrete. It didn’t matter if he was a stranger. Sokka wouldn’t let him die. “How about you just take a step back for a minute? Just leave everything behind while you figure things out. This is your first time in the city, right?”</p><p>Zuko nodded hesitantly. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Okay, then consider me your tour guide.” This time, he fully extended his own palm, turning it face up for the shaking stranger to take. Zuko’s dark gaze turned upward, the light catching the bags beneath his eyes, but he didn’t take Sokka’s hand. “Come on. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Will you just come with me to get something to eat?”</p><p>It was a bold offer, but Sokka was planning to stop on his way home anyway, so it honestly wasn’t even a big deal. He just wanted this man—this beautiful, <em>beautiful </em>man—to stay alive. He said he had no family but Sokka couldn’t believe there was no one in the world who would miss him if he was gone. So, instead of pulling away when his offer appeared to be rejected, he kept his hand outstretched.</p><p>Zuko stared at him for a few more seconds in silence, before brushing a few stray hairs out of his face. When he glanced back over to the water rushing beneath his dangling feet, Sokka’s heart pounded in his chest, but then something happened. Instead of slipping off the edge, Zuko just flicked his cigarette into the water. He turned to look at Sokka, finally reaching up to take his hand. His fingers were warm and gentle but scarred around his palm. He held onto Sokka for just long enough to stand, then shoved his hands into his pockets and gazed back down to his old sneakers, the light illuminating his shining amber eyes.</p><p>“You ever ridden on a motorcycle before?” asked Sokka, pushing a hand through his own brown hair. It felt almost wrong to move past what happened so quickly, but if there was anything he knew about the position Zuko was in, it was that he needed to think about other things. He needed a break from whatever horrible thoughts were plaguing his mind. “It’s just a short ride from here, but if you’re not comfortable with it, we can—”</p><p>“It’s okay.” There was something about the way he spoke that was almost painful to listen to. It was laced with sadness and fear, as if he were overly anxious. “I’ve never been on one before. I have, uh— I have really bad— really bad balance and uh, and depth perception, so I’m not really— I don’t drive or anything like that.”</p><p>Sokka’s gaze flickered over to Zuko’s scarred eye for the briefest second, realizing he’d probably sustained some sort of damage to his eye and, based on his claims of poor balance, more than likely his hearing as well. “All right, that’s fine. But you’re okay with it? Because seriously, if you don’t want to take my bike, we can just walk or catch the bus or something.”</p><p>“No, I don’t mind, I just— I’ve never ridden one before.”</p><p>“Not a problem. Come here.” Sokka led Zuko over to his bike, passing off his helmet to the other boy. Zuko tried to argue, but Sokka didn’t let him, insisting he needed it more. It was a short, leisurely drive anyway. He sat down first, gesturing for Zuko to hop on behind him and gently nudging him to hold onto his waist. Especially given his referenced poor balance, Sokka wanted to make sure he was safe. “All right, you ready? Here we go.”</p><p>It was a short, slow ride to the sandwich place, but Zuko clung to Sokka like he was holding on for dear life. His entire body shook the whole way there, though Sokka honestly wasn’t sure whether it was because he was already anxious from what happened at the bridge or because he was terrified of the bike, and he didn’t ask. He just let the pretty boy hold onto to his waist as tightly as he needed to, giving him space to relax as Sokka pointed things out as they passed by.</p><p>Though he intended to show Zuko into the corner shop as soon as he was parked, Sokka ended up coming to a full stop when he hopped off his bike. It was clear from the first moment he sat down that Zuko was unfairly handsome, and now that his hood was down and his dark hair was fully revealed in all its sloppily pulled back glory, Sokka felt almost frozen in awe. Thankfully, he did manage to snap himself back to attention in time to take his helmet back from Zuko, shooting him a reassuring smile before he led him in the door.</p><p>“Hey, Emil!” Sokka waved to the familiar cook as they walked in, not protesting when Zuko quietly offered to sit down instead of staying up front. He was clearly not in the mood for talk with another stranger. “I will take two of the regulars, please. But empty cups today, I’m guessing he doesn’t want a suicide.”</p><p>He cringed at the word, but the cook didn’t seem to notice. “Coming right up. I didn’t know you had a new boyfriend.”</p><p>“Oh, I—” Rather than going on, Sokka just flickered his gaze over to where Zuko was sitting then turned back to Emil and nodded. They only knew each other in passing, and there was no point boring the man with his life story. “Yeah, it’s a little complicated. Thanks as always.”</p><p>Given where they’d just come from, it wouldn’t have been surprising in the least if Zuko lacked an appetite, and he did. He let Sokka do all the talking after he sat down, and barely picked at his food once it was delivered. It didn’t take Sokka long to realize that he wasn’t just upset but unbearably anxious, and so he decided to try and make him more comfortable. The only problem with that idea being the fact that Sokka himself was indescribably awkward too, and it took him almost fifteen minutes to finally find a decent conversation starter that Zuko didn’t immediately shut down.</p><p>“So, you were a business major, huh?” he started, spinning the straw around in his drink. Zuko glanced up at him, but barely nodded before shoving a lock of hair back and looking down to his plate. “Did you know what you wanted to do with that?”</p><p>“I didn’t.” It wasn’t clear what he was referring to as he chewed on his thumb rather than his sandwich, but Sokka got the point when he took a deep breath before talking. “I never wanted to be a business major. I don’t care about it. I was kind of forced into it by my father.”</p><p>“Oh. Are you—?”</p><p>“But you said you’re going for your master’s, right? That’s really impressive. Have you always wanted to be an engineer?”</p><p>“Kind of, I guess.” Normally, Sokka wouldn’t have let anyone deflect his questions so easily, but this was a different situation. Zuko had just come out of a near suicide attempt, and they were only going to talk about the things that he was comfortable with. “I didn’t really figure it out until I was a senior in high school and I finally had good enough grades to go to uni wherever I wanted to.”</p><p>“Did you not have good grades already?” asked Zuko. His face flushed after he spoke and he pushed his hair back again, biting down on his lip awkwardly. “Sorry. You don’t have to answer that. I just… <em>I </em>had really shitty grades in school and— I don’t know. Sorry.”</p><p>The problem wasn’t that Sokka didn’t want to answer, it was that it wasn’t an easy thing to talk about by any means. He’d never really told anyone about what happened to him before, everyone was just there and saw it happen or helped him recover from it. He didn’t have to say the words because everyone already knew but Zuko didn’t. Sokka ran his hand over his wrist absentmindedly before turning to play with his straw instead, his gaze focused on the cup instead of his acquaintance.</p><p>“No, it’s fine, you’re right. I, uh, I had really shitty grades when I was a little kid because I’m, uh, I’m ADHD, like, pretty bad, so that— that really fucked me over for a while. And then, when I was in middle school, my— my mom died. She— yeah. And I won’t bore you with the details, but some shit went down as I got older and… I’m smart, I guess. At least, that’s what people tell me, but I couldn’t really get myself together for long enough to do anything with it until I was sixteen.”</p><p>“I get that. I mean I don’t have— I have anxiety issues, not— my mom died too.” Instantly, Sokka felt the sad pains in his chest increasing, as he looked to Zuko who seemed about ready to cry again. “I mean, I think so. She just kind of vanished one day? And that was when I was like twelve, so. Pretty sure she’s never coming back now, you know? But it’s… whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry about your mom.”</p><p>“I’m really sorry about yours too.” He glanced down to his mostly empty plate before turning his attention back to Zuko, who’d barely had a bite. It was time to take another approach. “So, since you weren’t really into business, what kind of stuff <em>are </em>you into? You know, movies or anything like that…?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Zuko shrugged uncomfortably, and more than anything, Sokka wished he could get him to smile. He imagined the expression would look beautiful on him. “Mostly stupid stuff. I’ve never really talked about it before. No one’s ever asked.”</p><p>“Seriously? Wow. Well, you can tell me, if you want.”</p><p>Before, Sokka doubted that Zuko had no one who cared for him, but if no one had <em>ever </em>asked what kind of stuff he liked, or wanted to talk to him about it, maybe it was true. He pushed the thought from his head, reminding himself that he’d saved Zuko’s life already. Instead, he chose to focus on guessing what the grungy, rather emo looking boy with nerdy glasses and chipped black fingernails, though every guess was wrong. He was expecting Zuko to say he enjoyed things like <em>My Chemical Romance </em>or vampires or something, but that wasn’t even close to what came out of his mouth.</p><p>“I like… theater, I guess,” he said, picking at his nails rather than meeting Sokka’s eyes. “I could never be an actor, but I always wanted to write something. And I like animals. Like, cats and ducks and turtles. Oh, and bearded dragons too. All kinds of lizards, really. I— sorry, this isn’t interesting. You don’t have to stay with me, you know. You can go.”</p><p>“No, seriously, I want to be here.” Sokka only hoped his tone was as genuine as he meant it to be. “If I weren’t with you, I’d be at home eating this same sandwich, probably watching <em>Alone </em>reruns and crying over my homework. Believe me, this is far preferable. But hey, if you’re good here, do you want to go somewhere else? I know a really great ice cream place if you’re up for it. And just for the record, you’re absolutely interesting. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Sokka smiled as he hopped out of his seat, though Zuko’s expression didn’t change. His slightly pink eyes were still dark—looking more brown than gold in the faded light of the diner—and only curved slightly downward as his hands adjusted his hair and glasses in a visibly anxious manner. His face was still flushed slightly too, pale underneath the reddish blush on his cheeks from where he’d been crying less than an hour before. Thankfully, he didn’t seem like he would cry again, at least not right then, and Sokka hoped he’d helped him feel better at least for one day.</p><p>As per the first time, despite it only being a short trip on entirely slow-going roads, Zuko nearly squeezed the life out of Sokka’s rib cage. He still kept his mouth shut, however, wanting his new friend to feel comfortable however he could. Besides, he’d been in far worse pain than that. It wasn’t going to hurt him to let a pretty boy cling to him for five minutes while they drove to go get ice cream.</p><p>When they arrived at the little shop, Sokka was again put in charge of all the talking. He managed to get Zuko’s favorite flavor out of him, at the least—chocolate and mocha with <em>all </em>the crushed cookies on top—but he still wouldn’t talk to anyone else and the more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn’t just because Zuko was anxious, it was because inherently introverted. Not that there was anything wrong with that, just that all of Sokka’s friends and family (minus his stepdad) were pretty extroverted and it was a totally different dynamic interacting with him. He decided he liked it.</p><p>After they got their ice cream, they decided to walk around the city a little bit—okay, so maybe Sokka had already decided to do that and put way more than enough money in the meter he’d parked at, but he’d only just gotten Zuko on board—and that at least gave them something more to talk about. Sokka was able to point out a few places as they went by, and it seemed to keep Zuko interested. At least, enough for him to have something to focus on that wasn’t whatever baggage got him onto the bridge that afternoon.</p><p>“So, have you thought about studying anything else?” asked Sokka, after far too long a silence. “You know, switching your major to English or animal stuff or theater or something? Or are you just kind of rolling with it now?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” Zuko shrugged, his hair falling in front of his eyes as he looked to his shoes gliding along the sidewalk below their feet. He hadn’t put his hood up again after taking it off for the helmet, but he kept covering his face with his hair and his glasses, as if he weren’t comfortable being seen. “My father was the only reason I was in university in the first place, so. I don’t really know what I’m going to do now. That’s why I came here.”</p><p>“To figure out what you want to do with your life?”</p><p>“No, to be with someone who cares about me. I just didn’t think it through very well. My uncle lives here. He has a shop in the city somewhere and he’s probably the greatest man I’ve ever met. No, actually, he <em>is </em>the greatest man I’ve ever met. And after I left home I wanted to see him but I don’t— I don’t think he would want to see me. That’s how I ended up on the bridge. I thought it might just be easier if no one knew where I went until it was too late.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Sokka started, awkwardly crunching on what was left of his ice cream cone. He was starting to choke up at the way Zuko talked about his uncle, and he didn’t even know the guy. “About your uncle, I mean? I <em>know </em>you’re wrong about the other thing. It’s not an easy way out, it’s— never mind. Why wouldn’t he want to see you?”</p><p>“Because I made a bad choice.” He shrugged lamely, tugging a lock of hair behind his right ear. “He told me to do the right thing and I basically gave him a fat middle finger and went off and did the opposite. I haven’t seen him since I was sixteen. He probably hates me now. I wouldn’t blame him. Hey, I, uh, I like— I like your earrings.”</p><p>“Oh, thanks.” For a moment, Sokka was thrown by the change of topic, but he understood why it happened and he smiled to show his appreciation. He did have quite a few impressive piercings, from the studs and hoops at the bottom to the industrial bar on his left ear, but he rarely thought about them anymore. They were just there. “I’ve been adding more since I was like, fourteen. Have you ever thought about getting any?”</p><p>“Yeah. Just studs, probably. Nothing fancy like yours. I always thought they were cool but my father didn’t approve of piercings so I couldn’t get any.”</p><p>“Okay, no offense, but that’s only the second or third thing you’ve said about your father and I’m already getting the feeling he’s a serious dick. Sorry.”</p><p>“You don’t have to be sorry, he’s absolutely a dick. That’s why I left.” He sniffed as he dropped his paper cup into a nearby trashcan, hesitating before he went on. “It took me way too fucking long but I realized that my uncle was right. I did the wrong thing and I dug myself into a shit hole and I don’t know what to do now. Honestly, after you leave, I’ll probably just end up on that bridge again because I have no fucking money and no place to go.”</p><p>His voice was cracking again, and the words hurt too much for Sokka to listen to. He didn’t know where this boy had come from, he didn’t know his story or what he’d been through, but a large part of him wanted to, and he couldn’t do that if he was gone. From what he’d seen, Zuko wasn’t just gorgeous, he was sweet and gentle and Sokka wanted to get to know that side of him better. He tossed his own wrapper into a trash bin before holding out a hand to Zuko, who only stared at it blankly.</p><p>“If you’re going to end up on that bridge again when I leave,” he started, “then I’m not going to leave. Look, it’s barely six-thirty. We have tons of time to do things before they close. Oh, you know what? We should go to the boardwalk. There are all kinds of cool games and vendors and I have never seen anyone go there and not come out smiling. And if you don’t like that, there’s this really great beach nearby where we can hang out on our own. What do you say?”</p><p>“I don’t think I’m going to smile, but I’ll go with you.” Zuko reached out to take Sokka’s hand slowly, allowing him to guide the way to the boardwalk. “If nothing else, it beats jumping off a bridge.”</p><p>Sokka took a deep breath, gripping onto Zuko’s hand tighter as he picked up his pace. From the way he continued to shake, Sokka guessed Zuko wasn’t used to holding hands with anyone, but Sokka didn’t mind in the least. He was a very touchy person in general and held hands with his friends all the time just because he liked it. He wanted Zuko to feel safe like he did, even if they’d only just met, and so he expressed it in the only way he knew how.</p><p>They didn’t say much else on the way to the boardwalk. Sokka pointed out a few more of his favorite places—and the local theater and pet shelter when they passed by—but Zuko was quiet. He fiddled with his hair and his glasses a lot, and kept glancing down at their hands, but wouldn’t take up any of Sokka’s conversation starters. Instead, he only nodded along, barely mumbling out a few responses when Sokka tried harder to get him to talk.</p><p>Eventually, they arrived at their destination, and immediately, Sokka feared he’d made the wrong decision. Zuko clung tighter to his hand as they approached the small crowds, though he didn’t say anything. The boardwalk wasn’t the busiest place in the world, especially not at seven o’clock on a Wednesday night, but the chatter was still loud and busy and given the fact that Zuko couldn’t even order his own food, Sokka had probably made a really bad choice in location.</p><p>“Are you okay?” he asked, turning to look at the pretty boy beside him. Zuko’s eyes were shining in the setting sun, though they were still slightly bloodshot and glassy with old tears. “If you don’t want to be here, we can just go back to my apartment or something. My roommate’s a little overbearing but he’s really nice.”</p><p>“No, no, it’s fine. I need the distraction.” Despite what he said, Zuko’s gaze continued to float around the scenery, taking in the crowds and the numerous stands around them. “What do you like to do here? I mean, I’ve— I’ve never been to a boardwalk before. Or anything like that. My father was always about work.”</p><p>“Well, I personally enjoy the games. You know, the ring toss, milk bottles, balloon bust. You ever played?”</p><p>“No. I’d probably be terrible at it. I have really shitty depth perception, like I said before. Are you any good at it?”</p><p>“Absolutely not. That’s the fun of it.” Sokka nudged Zuko gently, but he barely reacted to the friendly touch. There <em>had </em>to be some other way to get him to open up. “It’s the best when my sister comes to visit—she goes to UAA—because then I get to hang out with her and my roommate—who’s also her boyfriend, not sure if that’s relevant—and we all just fuck around for hours. They love making fun of me for how bad I am at all the games, but they’re no better than me. Here.”</p><p>He pulled Zuko over to a nearby game stand, keeping the boy close to his side so he would feel more comfortable in the crowds. There wasn’t anyone else at the break-a-plate game, so they didn’t have to wait and Sokka was able to show off his shitty skills right away. It took a lot of practice for him to get so bad at the game, but he believed himself to be a master failure at that point, and it seemed to help Zuko a little bit. He still didn’t smile, but he made a lot of comments at Sokka’s terrible aim, and that <em>did </em>make Sokka smile.</p><p>Following his absolute failure (he broke exactly one plate, to Zuko’s quiet amusement), they continued down the boardwalk, Sokka insisting he get them a thing of cotton candy despite the fact that they’d already had a bunch of ice cream. Zuko made a comment, but he didn’t actually protest and even held the cotton candy for Sokka to keep stealing bites from. It was the way he kept holding it out to Sokka and how gentle Zuko’s fingers were against his hand that made him realize he was right. Zuko was soft. He was hurting and sad but deep down, he was just a big soft sweetheart, and he needed someone to love him.</p><p>“Okay, you have to give this a try.” Sokka reached out to take the cotton candy from Zuko’s right hand, not letting go of his left. He practically dragged him over to the ring toss stand, throwing down his offering to the woman running the game. Zuko shook his head, but Sokka wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Come on, please? You saw how terrible I was at the last game. The whole fun of these is how shit you are! You’re not supposed to actually win. Just throw one ring.”</p><p>“I’m left-handed and I have a massive blind spot on that side,” said Zuko, biting down on his lip as he dragged his tangled hair back behind his ear. “There is absolutely no way this is going to end well.”</p><p>“All right, you know what? Let’s even this out.” He took a deep breath as he reached handed the cotton candy back over to Zuko, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his little case. Zuko gave him a very strange look at first but caught on before he said anything and allowed Sokka to pull out his contacts in silence. The only downside to taking them out was that he couldn’t properly admire Zuko’s beautiful face anymore. “Okay. I already suck ass at this game, and now I can’t see shit. I don’t know about you, but <em>I </em>want one of those giant plushies up there and more than that, I want to fail to get one. Come on.”</p><p>He didn’t wait before stepping forward, letting go of Zuko’s hand as he reached out for the plastic rings. Sokka barely aimed before throwing his first one, watching with amusement as the ring bounced off one of the milk jugs. Still, Zuko didn’t say a word, and so he threw another one, this time bouncing even further off from his apparent target. He turned to look at Zuko after throwing one more, this time not even coming <em>close </em>to the milk jugs across from him. Sokka held out the remaining three rings for Zuko to take, and he hesitated for a long several seconds before exchanging them for the cotton candy.</p><p>Zuko didn’t throw right away, glancing over to Sokka again before he finally tossed the first one. It wasn’t a great shot, admittedly, but it was better than any of the ones Sokka had thrown. The second ring bounced off one of the jugs and spun in between them, at which point Zuko stopped for a moment before tossing the third. <em>That </em>one finally struck one of the jugs and landed around its mouth, to which Sokka threw his hands in the air dramatically in celebration.</p><p>“Ah, see? I told you!” He gently nudged Zuko in the shoulder, but he only shrugged and looked down to his feet. “What?”</p><p>“Well, it’s still not good,” said Zuko lamely. “We got one out of six. That’s not even a prize, that’s just a glorified failure.”</p><p>“Oh, you want a prize?” Though he didn’t get a verbal answer, Sokka waited for Zuko’s gaze to briefly lift towards where the stupidly fluffy plushies were hanging before he nodded and slapped another offering onto the counter. “All right, you want to know a secret?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m farsighted.”</p><p>Sokka took the fresh six rings from the worker, taking a small step back before he squinted slightly, throwing a ring in the direction of the jugs. The first one struck a bottle immediately, the second one bounced but landed, the third was a slam dunk, and the rest all followed suit. See, the truth was, Sokka kicked ass at all of those games. He could win any one of them in a heartbeat, he just didn’t.</p><p>After his final, fantastic throw, Sokka collected his prize and thanked the woman who handed it down to him. Zuko’s eyes were wide by the time Sokka turned around, a soft turtle plush in his hands. He handed it over to Zuko without a word, exchanging it for the cotton candy which he quickly pulled another bite off of before offering his hand back to the boy. Zuko took it silently.</p><p>“What was that?” he asked, his tone filled with silent awe. “You’re so good at that. Why did you say you sucked?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I guess it’s just something I do.” Sokka shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer the question. He looked down to his own dark boots, hesitating before deciding to be honest. “I’m kind of a people pleaser. I guess. I’m pretty overly protective and I don’t really do things with myself in mind. My friends aren’t really good at these games and honestly, I think it’s just more fun to just let loose than be the best all the time.”</p><p>“But doesn’t it bother you? That they all think you’re not good at it?”</p><p>“Actually, no. Not really. This is pretty lame, but I’ve always kind of struggled with feeling like I wasn’t good enough, and in the grand scheme of things, this just doesn’t feel like a big deal. Like I said, they aren’t good at them either, and it’s just fun to all suck at it together, you know? We’re equally awful. I was always kind of the loser in the group because of everything going on and I guess that just because I was always behind before doesn’t mean I want to be better than anyone else now. I want us to be equal.”</p><p>“Well, that’s nice, but you’re better.” Zuko glanced down to their hands, a short silence falling between them before he went on. “I don’t know what you went through or how you ended up here with me but thank you. For saving me. And for trying to cheer me up. Sorry I’m so stubborn.”</p><p>“It’s okay, you’re going through a lot. I wasn’t exactly expecting you to be happy when I stopped.”</p><p>“Why did you stop? I mean, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but I was sitting there for probably an hour and so many cars and people went by and nobody stopped but you did. Why did you do that?”</p><p>Sokka didn’t answer, instead taking in his surroundings. It was easier to focus on the crowds of people playing games and eating junk food than to think about the reason he’d stopped. He felt like he should say something, explain what really happened, but he didn’t know if he could. He also didn’t know if it was okay for him to talk about given what happened. The last thing he wanted to do was trigger Zuko and send him spiraling back into the same place he’d just come from.</p><p>“I—” He couldn’t get the words out. He couldn’t tell him what happened, not right then. “Oh, my god, look at these sunglasses.”</p><p>Despite knowing he was running from the truth, Sokka dragged Zuko over to a whole row of tchotchke stands, pushing all the bad thoughts behind him. They spent far too long messing around with the merchandise, Sokka trying on basically every pair of sunglasses he could find. He finally stopped to put his contacts back in too, after Zuko called him out on the fact he’d put on three pairs of sunglasses upside down (which should have been embarrassing, but he’d done way worse).</p><p>They got distracted easily, likely due to the fact that Zuko allowed Sokka to lead the way—he was phenomenal with a schedule but couldn’t get a damn thing done without one—but it didn’t matter. Sokka was having so much fun, he felt like only minutes had passed, but before he knew it, it was already getting dark outside and all the games at the boardwalk were closing; the crowds dismissing around them. Instead of leaving with everyone else, Sokka dragged Zuko over to the very end of the stands, sitting down on the edge of the boardwalk.</p><p>It wasn’t a far jump at all but Zuko still hesitated before he sat down, Sokka giving his hand a squeeze to let him know that it was okay. He still didn’t dangle his legs over the edge like Sokka did, just sitting cross-legged to his right and dropping the stuffed turtle between them, while still clinging to his hand. Zuko’s eyes looked deep and brown in the dark sky, but when the moon caught them, they shone in a way that made them look almost golden. Sokka smiled to Zuko, shooting him a smile, but he got nothing in return. He opened his mouth to talk, to start another small conversation, but stopped when he felt his pocket vibrating.</p><p>“Oh, shit.”</p><p>“What?” Zuko looked too concerned for the situation, turning to Sokka urgently. “Is everything okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, no, it’s fine.” He was already typing out a response on his phone, letting Aang and Katara know that he was not, in fact, dead, but he probably wouldn’t be home any time soon. “My friends have just sent me about a thousand texts. I guess that Aang—that’s my roommate—must’ve told Katara and a couple of our other friends because I wasn’t answering. Sorry. I just have to let him know I’m okay. He’s a little paranoid.”</p><p>“Do you have to go home? I mean, you’ve done more than enough for me. I don’t want your friends to worry.”</p><p>“Nope, it’s fine. I’m perfectly happy staying here with you.” Sokka gave Zuko’s hand another squeeze, hoping he would understand the meaning. Thankfully, it seemed like he did. “All right, so, tell me something else about you. You like animals, right? Have you ever had any pets?”</p><p>“Sort of.” He pushed a hand through his hair as he turned to look at Sokka, which had become increasingly tangled over the course of the day. Sokka felt the urge to help him fix it but didn’t want to get in his boundaries and decided it was pretty cute when it was messy anyway. “We used to have a duck pond, back before my mom disappeared. They weren’t pets, exactly, but I liked giving them grapes and bread. But not too much bread! You can only give them a little bit, or it’ll make them sick.”</p><p>“What? Really? I never knew that.”</p><p>“Yeah. Hey, sorry I keep moving, I’m just— I’m mostly— I’m mostly deaf on my left side, so it’s— it’s hard for me to hear you. Sorry.”</p><p>“You’re fine, <em>I’m </em>sorry.” It wasn’t surprising, given what else Zuko had said and how deep his scar was, but he hadn’t fully considered it until that point and realized he should’ve been more aware, especially given Zuko’s blind spot. “Do you want me to move, or…?”</p><p>“No, it’s better on that side. I don’t like having it exposed.” He shifted uncomfortably, biting down on his lip, and taking a deep breath before he went on; his words coming out quieter than they had the whole evening. “It was my father.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“My scar. He runs this huge business and I pissed him off while he was holding a branding iron, and— it doesn’t matter, I just— you’ve been looking at it all day. I know you have. Everyone does.”</p><p>“No, I wasn’t—” Sokka couldn’t even finish his sentence. His throat had gone dry, his heart plummeted into his stomach as he tried to come to terms with what Zuko had just told him. He knew that the guy’s dad was a dick but to do <em>that </em>to his own child? He wet his lips, shaking his head slowly. <em>Now </em>was the time to be honest. “I wasn’t looking at your scar, Zuko. I was looking at your eyes.”</p><p>“My <em>eyes</em>?” He frowned, turning to face Sokka straight on. “Why were you looking at my eyes? Are they still red?”</p><p>“No, they’re just… you’re just so beautiful.”</p><p>Zuko didn’t say a word. He stared at Sokka in absolute silence, for once ignoring the stray hairs that the wind pushed onto his cheeks. For the longest time, the only thing reminding Sokka that time hadn’t stopped completely were the quiet sounds of dispersing crowds and the water lapping on the dock below them, as he lost himself in Zuko’s eyes. They were beautiful. <em>He </em>was beautiful and not for one second did he regret saying it. All he wished was that he knew what Zuko was thinking, and somehow, that wish came true too when finally, <em>fucking finally</em>, Zuko started to smile.</p><p>They both leaned in at the same time and before Sokka knew what was happening, Zuko’s lips were on his. They were as soft as he was and still tasted of cotton candy, his movements small and gentle the same as his fingers. Zuko’s mouth continued to curl slightly upward as Sokka pulled him in closer, moving his left hand onto his waist and leaving his right to hold the hand that was squeezing his so tightly. Though he seemed happier, Zuko was sheepish and awkward as ever, his own right hand floating aimlessly until it finally found a place gripping the front of Sokka’s shirt.</p><p>It felt like the greatest moment of his life and though he never wanted it to end, Sokka eventually pulled away, allowing Zuko to lean against his shoulder before he pressed one more kiss to the top of his head. He was smaller than Sokka, not by a lot but by enough, and it was a little too easy to feel his ribs through his shirt, but it didn’t matter. Zuko was sweet and handsome and he didn’t deserve the hell he’d gone through. He needed love and care and though they’d only met a few hours earlier, more than anything, Sokka wanted to give it to him.</p><p>“Here, I want to show you something.”</p><p>He helped Zuko to his feet, not releasing his grip as they gathered their things and headed back off the boardwalk; Sokka quickly purchasing a blanket from one of the closing vendors on their way. Instead of going back into the city, Sokka turned right off onto the beach, guiding Zuko down the sand. Ever since he’d been living there, Sokka had a favorite spot to relax, and it was the very same one he took Zuko to that night. It was on the edge of the trees, hidden by a bunch of bushes and other plants. He threw his worn leather jacket onto the sand and spread out the blanket before kicking his shoes off and flopping down, patting the checkered fabric for Zuko to sit down beside him.</p><p>Once they were both down, Sokka leaned back and looked up to the stars, pointing up to get Zuko to do the same. Zuko leaned in a little closer to Sokka, as he reached down to entwine their fingers again. Sokka shifted into him, resting his own head against Zuko’s as they looked up to the sky. It was normally impossible to see the stars thanks to all the lights from the buildings, but they were just far enough to see everything perfectly and it couldn’t have been better. Zuko’s eyes shone as Sokka pointed out his favorite stars and the planets in the sky and continued to sparkle as they lay in silence for minutes after.</p><p>It was at that moment when the timing felt right. He squeezed Zuko’s hand again, taking a deep breath. This was another thing he’d never spoken about. Another thing that everyone already knew, or they never needed to know. It wasn’t anything Sokka was used to talking about, but he felt like Zuko deserved to know the truth and he wanted to be honest with him. He wanted him to know that regardless of what happened, Sokka would be there for him, no matter how long they had or hadn’t known each other for.</p><p>“The reason I stopped to help you is because I know what it feels like.” Sokka turned his head to look at Zuko, who was already shifting his own gaze. He inhaled deeply before he elaborated, uncertain whether he could go through with it. “I know I told you earlier that I have a problem with feeling like I’m not good enough, but that’s not all of it. That’s not— I went through a bad time when I was in high school. You know, my mom died, my dad had a new boyfriend, my grades were going to shit, and I just kind of lost my way. I just hurt myself at first. To cope. It was bad. It was— it was really bad, but I didn’t want to tell anyone about it. I never did tell anyone about it. Not really. Not like I should have.”</p><p>“So, what happened?” asked Zuko softly. “If you didn’t tell anyone, how did you…?”</p><p>“My dad found me face down in a pile of pillows and Adderall.” He looked away again, moving his eyes to look at the stars as he found it impossible to stare at Zuko and tell the story at the same time. “I, uh, it was— it was my mom’s birthday. My sister Katara and I got into a really stupid argument and my report card showed up the same day and it turned out I was failing, and I panicked. I didn’t know what to do and instead of asking for help and trying to handle it responsibly, I went upstairs and I hurt myself and then I decided to have more Adderall for the— for my ADHD so I could focus on my homework, and I took everything that was left in there. Probably about half the bottle.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” His fingers squeezed Sokka’s hand more tightly, prompting him to finally look back to meet Zuko’s eyes. He brushed a hand over his own before he nodded, not wanting to cry in front of the boy who needed him to be strong. “Sokka?”</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah, I am now. I think. That was when I like, fifteen or sixteen, so it’s in the past for the most part. I had a lot of therapy and a lot of anti-depressants, and way too many heart-to-hearts with my dad and sister, and it helped a lot. I still see a therapist sometimes and I’m still on a few pills, but I’m doing exponentially better than I was a few years ago. The only regret I have from back then was not asking for help.”</p><p>“I never asked for help.” Zuko sniffed, leaning a little further onto his side. “I mean, I did, once, when I was thirteen, but that didn’t go anywhere. That was my uncle, and like I said, I blew him off and he ended up moving over here when I was sixteen. I wanted to ask for help again but I didn’t— I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I still don’t have anyone to talk to. I’m proud of you for going to therapy and getting help and all that. I don’t think I could do it.”</p><p>“You could and you can, you just need someone to support you.” He didn’t seem to get the point until Sokka shifted in closer, giving his hand yet another reassuring squeeze. “I know we just met a few hours ago but I’m here for you, okay? My roommate and I have an extra bedroom so if you want to come and stay with us while you figure things out, I would be more than happy to let you be there and I know Aang would too.”</p><p>“Thank you. For everything. I don’t— I don’t think I would’ve gotten off that ledge if it wasn’t for you.”</p><p>Sokka smiled and brushed a hand across Zuko’s cheek, pushing a lock of dark hair behind his ear. “You helped me too. Before I found you, I was just planning to get a sandwich and go home and have whiskey and take a good, long depression nap and stay up until five crying over my homework but instead I think I had one of the best days of my life.”</p><p>“I think I had one of the best days of mine too.”</p><p>This time, they didn’t lean in at the same time but Zuko only lagged just behind Sokka. His lips were just as soft as the first time, though he realized after a few seconds the taste of cotton candy was suddenly mixed with salty tears. He nearly pulled away, wanting to ask whether Zuko was okay, but Zuko shook his head before he could even ask the question; leaning forward to kiss him again. Zuko’s hands slid across Sokka’s back, his fingers tugging at the edge of his shirt. Sokka reached around to encourage him, resting his hands on either side of Zuko as he leaned across to hold him closer.</p><p>Within moments, he was all but straddling Zuko, the smaller boy’s hands gripping the front of his shirt and pulling it over his head when Sokka slid back to give him the opportunity. In turn, Sokka slid his own hands up to Zuko’s hair, removing the article he most wanted to see gone. Just as he’d imagined, Zuko’s hair was absolutely gorgeous when it was down; spilling down past his shoulders once freed from its captor and tickling Sokka’s cheeks. He smiled against Zuko’s lips, pulling back to sit up and drag Zuko onto his lap.</p><p>Sokka leaned forward, gently tugging Zuko’s jacket off his shoulders as he leaned in to kiss the other boy’s neck. The only reaction he got was Zuko sliding his own arms back around Sokka’s shoulders once his jacket was gone, and only moving them to give Sokka the chance to discard his shirt as well. He was beautiful. He was skinny and scarred and broken but Sokka was all of those things too and when they touched, he felt a flutter in his chest he never imagined he might get to experience.</p><p>When he got up that morning, he never expected to meet anyone new. When he sat at his desk that afternoon, typing in the thousandth line of data, he never thought he’d end up with a new friend. And when he stopped to help the crying person on the side of the road, he never, <em>ever </em>imagined that the night would end with what was probably the most romantic experience of his entire life. The sand was a little annoying when it got onto the blanket, but he’d never felt anything as warm or amazing as it felt to hold Zuko in his arms.</p><p>In all honesty, he couldn’t quite remember when he’d fallen asleep or if that was what he’d intended to do. All he knew was that when he opened his eyes, the sun was beginning to rise, and he was flopped under the blanket freezing his ass off and wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. For a moment, Sokka was utterly baffled as to what happened and how he got there, but then he blinked a few times—letting out a breath of relief when he realized he was at least smart enough to take out his contacts before sleeping—and smile when he saw Zuko at his side.</p><p>The line down his back was a little too visible, his ribs just too prominent to be safe, but Sokka didn’t mind one bit. He didn’t want to wake the boy given everything that he’d gone through, but he was already planning to make sure he had another good day. Sokka grabbed his phone and typed out a quick message to Aang to ask him to take notes for him in class that morning. He had more important things to worry about, specifically regarding the beautiful, exhausted boy sleeping beside him.</p><p>Sokka snuggled back down and wrapped an arm around Zuko, pulling him in closer when he realized how cold he was. They weren’t exactly thinking clearly the night before and sleeping under one blanket on the dirt wasn’t particularly smart—Zuko’s hair was covered in sand, and Sokka imagined his couldn’t be much better—but they were too caught up in the moment to care. He exhaled softly, leaning into Zuko as he held him close in his arms.</p><p>Within a few minutes, Zuko finally started to stir, yawning quietly before he turned to look over his shoulder. His bright eyes looked different without his glasses and under the morning light, the dark shade of amber turning almost golden when the sun caught them at the right angle. A small smile crossed Zuko’s lips when he realized Sokka was staring at him, and instantly, Sokka’s face felt warm when <em>he </em>realized that he’d been all too obviously admiring the boy he’d known for less than a day.</p><p>He’d never known himself to be impulsive—okay, so he was pretty impulsive off his meds, but <em>on</em> his meds, he needed a goddamn schedule or he lost his mind—and he felt like he should’ve regretted going so far the night before, but he didn’t. Something about the situation just felt <em>right </em>and even though his common sense was telling him to slow the fuck down, he didn’t want to. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Zuko’s forehead before sliding away, turning to grab his deep blue t-shirt off the sand behind him.</p><p>“You hungry?” asked Sokka awkwardly, pulling his shirt down over his head. Zuko nodded a little, brushing the sand off his glasses before pushing them onto his nose. “Okay, I know a <em>great </em>place we can get breakfast. The only downside is that we are going to have to put on pants.”</p><p>Zuko’s smile never got old. It had to only be the third or fourth time Sokka had seen it, but everything about it was gorgeous and it made his heart flutter each time he saw it. Instead of saying anything else, Zuko simply mumbled back an “okay” before turning to grab his own shirt, shaking some of the sand out of his long, dark hair. Sokka pulled a hair tie from the pocket of his leather jacket, reaching out to offer it to Zuko. He pulled his hair back just as sloppily as he had the day before, but Sokka thought it still looked just as pretty as it had the first time. That said, he hoped his own hair didn’t look too bad. Not in front of the cute boy.</p><p>They didn’t dress in a hurry, but they managed to get all their things together without getting distracted and walked off the beach with their hands clasped together again. Zuko was still shaking slightly, yet somehow, Sokka seemed to be able to help him relax. Each time he squeezed Zuko’s hand or leaned into his shoulder, he shook a little less, until he finally leaned his head against Sokka’s shoulder and stayed close beside him as they walked.</p><p>It was no surprise that there was a parking ticket on his motorcycle when they got back to it, and honestly, Sokka was just glad it didn’t get towed. Zuko clung even tighter to him than he had the day before, leaning in close as they sped through the streets towards the little shop Sokka wanted to take him to. It wasn’t a breakfast shop, technically, but they served pastries and the guy who ran it was probably one of the nicest people that Sokka had ever met. He just had a way about him that was gentle and kind and every time Sokka talked to him, he felt a little more satisfied with his life.</p><p>Unfortunately, Zuko didn’t seem so excited to go in the little shop, freezing in his tracks after taking off Sokka’s helmet and turning to see where they were going. Sokka frowned and reached around for his hand when he stood up, but Zuko didn’t move. He stayed in his seat, swallowing hard as he stared at the sign for a long several seconds before finally turning to look at Sokka. Still, he stayed silent, until Sokka felt like he was going to burst from the building anticipation.</p><p>“Hey, are you all right?” asked Sokka, his tone quiet and absolutely ready to offer to take him home.</p><p>“Yeah. No. I don’t know.” Zuko shook his head, picking at the chipping black polish on his fingernails. “That’s, uh, that’s my— that’s my uncle’s shop.”</p><p>That time, it was Sokka who froze where he stood. He hadn’t intended to bring Zuko anywhere that made him uncomfortable and yet somehow, by the worst coincidence, he’d brought him to the last place he should have picked. But then he thought about the man, Iroh, who ran the shop, and something clicked. His nephew. Every damn time Sokka went in for breakfast, the guy went on and on about his nephew. He never said his name, he never showed his face, but he talked about him. He went on about him. He <em>missed </em>him.</p><p>Instead of offering to go elsewhere, Sokka only offered his hand. He wasn’t going to push Zuko to do anything he didn’t want to, but there was no part of him that believed his uncle would be mad or upset with him. Sokka didn’t know what was going to happen, but after a long moment of silence, Zuko finally reached out to take his hand again; his eyes turning teary as he slowly followed Sokka into the building. He shook worse than he had before, constantly fiddling with his nails, hair, and glasses, but Sokka didn’t mention it. He understood the feeling too well.</p><p>There weren’t many people inside the Jasmine Dragon that day, but there were a few customers scattered around at the tables. Zuko froze when he saw the kindly older man brewing tea behind the counter, his back to the door and not noticing his nephew aside from calling out in response to the bell on the door. Sokka glanced over to Zuko, who was squeezing the living daylights out of his hand as they slowly walked toward the counter. His breath stopped altogether when Iroh finally turned around, his eyes going wide as he stopped in place with the teapot still in his hands.</p><p>“Zuko.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Uncle,” he babbled out the words faster than Sokka could register them, his words slurring as his throat became thick with tears. “You were right. Father was— he was abusing me, and I didn’t want to see it and I should have walked away, and I should have come with you, but I— I was wrong and I’m sorry. I made all the wrong decisions and I’m sorry I didn’t come with you. I’m so, so sorry.”</p><p>Iroh said nothing. His face was almost blank as he carefully placed his teapot down on the counter before walking around the glass pastry case, approaching his nephew slowly. Sokka held onto Zuko’s hand tightly when the first tear slipped down his cheek, knowing he was fully expecting to be rejected. That based on everything he said, the only thing he thought would happen was his uncle throwing him out the door and telling him to never come back.</p><p>But that wasn’t what happened.</p><p>Instead of yelling at him or scolding him for what happened, Iroh just stepped forward and pulled Zuko into one of the biggest hugs Sokka had ever witnessed. He held onto his nephew like he thought he might leave again, whispering something into his right ear that Sokka couldn’t and didn’t try to hear. It wasn’t any of his business. All he cared about was that, through his tears, Zuko was smiling. He was smiling and he was safe, and he was okay. He was <em>alive</em>.</p><p>“Here,” started Iroh, finally raising his voice when he and Zuko pulled apart, “let me get you boys some tea.”</p><p>Zuko nodded and smiled to him again, brushing away the tears on his cheeks and glasses before grabbing onto Sokka’s hand again and pulling him over to one of the tables near the window. It took only seconds for Iroh to come over to them with two steaming cups of tea and a tray of pastries, accompanied by a semi-joking comment that Zuko looked like he would need a lot more of them. They talked for a few minutes before Iroh had to attend to another customer, at which point he thanked Sokka for bringing his nephew home, and Sokka failed to respond beyond a smile because suddenly, he thought <em>he </em>might start crying too.</p><p>Somehow, after everything that happened, Zuko <em>finally </em>seemed to calm down as they sat there in the tea shop. Sokka guessed it was the weight off his shoulders and the sudden sense of security that made him feel better, but part of him really hoped he had something to do with it too. The only reason he stopped the day before was to stop someone from ending their life and while he seemed to have succeeded in doing that, he also felt like he’d walked right into the next step of his.</p><p>“So,” said Sokka, reaching across the table for Zuko’s hand, “you still glad you didn’t jump off that bridge?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Zuko gripped his fingers around Sokka’s, lifting his gaze to make eye contact for the longest he’d done since they met. “But I’m more glad that it was you who stopped me.”</p><p>Sokka only smiled as he lifted Zuko’s fingers to kiss the back of his hand. He knew what Zuko meant, and he felt the exact same way.</p>
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